Cody, WY

Position Title: Interpretive Specialist

Organization: Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Location: Wyoming

Organization Overview: The Buffalo Bill Center of the West shares the epic stories of Yellowstone and the American West together in one place, for one price. The Center is located in the authentic western town of Cody, founded by William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. They are also located in the heart of the Greater Yellowstone region—just outside Yellowstone National Park’s East Gate.

Position Overview: Develop and implement standards for interpretation and evaluation within the five museums of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and its research library. Implement, coordinate, and evaluate interpretive programs including family programs, children’s workshops, and public programs. Develop interactive and engaging interpretive elements in the galleries and special exhibitions to enhance the visitor experience.

Duties:

• Develops standards for formal and informal interpretation, based on principles of interpretation from the National Association of Interpretation (NAI).
• Conducts interpretive training sessions; oversees and evaluates part-time educators and seasonal staff.
• Creates engaging audience experiences including community family programs, summer children’s workshops, and other interpretive encounters for visitor throughout the Center.
• Works with exhibit teams and curators to create engaging interpretive elements for permanent and special exhibits. Elements include interactive components, engaging text, electronic interpretation, ADA and diversity awareness, and participator experiences, that all promote deeper engagement for Center visitors with the collections.
• Evaluates audience experience and adjusts program and exhibit elements to match visitor needs and expectations. Evaluation methods will include a variety of techniques to determine the effectiveness of existing exhibits and programs, and to identify areas in which the Center is not addressing current audience needs.
• Ensures that evaluations results are incorporated into future interpretive program and exhibit planning.
• Builds partnership relationships with education-focused organizations within the region, nationally, and globally.
• Assists with grant proposal content and reports.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in education, interpretation, or other related field related to the content areas of the museums.
• At least 2 years of experience in museum, nature center, or other interpretive environment.
• Familiarity with National Association for Interpretation. CIG / CIT certification preferred.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including speaking to audiences of various sizes, ages, and education levels.
• Familiarity with the principles of good interpretation.
• Willingness to work collaboratively with multiple departments and external consultants.
• Strong organizational skills and an ability to prioritize and organize multiple projects.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Exhibits management skills including employee supervision and budgetary development.
• Working knowledge of computer software.
• Exhibits comfort working with various social media outlets

How to Apply:  To apply, please send cover letter and resume to Terry Harley at terryh@centerofthewest.org. E-mail or call her at 307-578-4089 with any questions. Please use this resource to view the full job description.